Elastic tire for vehicles.



J. SPYKER. ELASTIC TIRE FOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED D110. 8, 191a.

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2 sums-SHEET 1.

Patented July 7, 1914.

WHEN ESSES W44 W W' mmzww J. SPYKER. ELASTIC TIRE FOB VEHICLES.

APPLICATION IIILED DEC. 8, 1913.

Patented July 7,1914,

2 SHEETB-SHEBT 2.

speed, to create ELASTIC TIRE FOB VEHICLES.

Speciflcation of Letters Patent.

the construction of to prevent such Wheels,

==-all lateral distortion "of the wheel, to enable be driven at a high rate of little or no dust and to prevent the settling of dust on the driving an other parts of the vehicle immediately adjacent the wheels. The invention primarily consists in an elastic wheel comprising a hollow casing within which is arranged an inner or propelling wheel and a flexible outer support.- ing rolling surface, the three being held and operating together by means of a cushion of compressed air combined therewith and arranged between the supporting rolling surface and the inner or propelling wheel in such a way that themovements of the outer supporting surface and those of the inner wheel are restricted by the air cushion, the said cushion being supported and protected by the outer casing, and the outer moving part being guided b the said outer casing.

The invention wi 1 now be described with reference to the accompanyi g drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a general transverse sectional elevation of a wheel constructed according to the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the wheel in Fig. 1 with half of the cover plate removed to show the parts behind it. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view at the intersection of cover plate 7 and casing d. Fig. 4 is a transverse interlocking of parts f and d. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of the plate 1 show-. ing its interlocking devices. Fig. 6 is a plan of a fragment of casin dl showing its interlocking devices. Fig. is a plan view of a section of the wheel showing the tread.

such wheels to of the invention is to simplify section showing the x The wheel hub a. carries pelling wheel I) whi h maybe of solid or hollow-formation and of any material but it is rigidly attached to the hub a in any suitable manner. It is shown as hollow and is preferably formed by stamping sheet steel blanks joined at the opposing edges by welding or otherwise. The periphery c of the propelling wheel is preferably rounded or of any other shape so as to present a smooth face. The propelling wheel is inclosed within a hollow protecting casing formed of any suitable rigid material. Such material may consist of steel, wood, compressed paper or cardboard and the like rigid material and. forms a casing in two parts, one e being of dished form with a concaved or overhanging peripheral portion and the other f comprising a concaved cover plate.

The outer wheel structure or casing is provided with cushion seats 3 at each side of the rounded periphery 0 of the inner structure. These seats face outwardly and have a suitable curvature and receive portions of the air casing at each side of the inner wheel structure, and these parts of the air cushion exert inwardly-directed pressure against the outer structure. Together with an outward pressure exerted against tread portion al this arrangement very effectively locates the two major wheel portions in respect to each Patented July 7, 1914.

Application 'filed December 8, 1913. Serial No. 805,455.

the inner or proor outer wheel (Z v other. The arrangement also provides for a very large air cushi n arranged in a novel and effective .and durable way. The complete outer casing or wheel (1 is of smooth regular form'presenting no jutting points, such as axle projections, and the cover plate f is placed on the oif side of the wheel, so that the inner parts of the wheel may be examined by easily removing the cover plate.

The two sides of the wheel are preferably of convex shape to preserve the symmetry of the structure. The'convexity of the outer face of the wheel also serves to protect it bein position by which an excause if this cover plate encounters obstacles its convex shape tends to push them away emplifying embodiment is shown in the form of joint shown in Fig. 1, the outer casing or wheel is made with a flange g and the cover plate with a a'nge it. These two flanges are each turned inward, the inner recess produced being filled up with a rubber ring is. The flanges g and it, in order that they may constitute a hit and miss device, are each made with recesses m, to correspond with projections we also formed in each, so that the cover plate f may be placed in positionfrom the side and then given a movement of rotation to lock the solid portions of one ring behind those of the other. Over the joint thus formed a U-shaped or other suitable spring ring Z is slipped to lock the device.

The two parts of the outer casing are fitted with internal disk portions 1" connected by curved internal shoulder portions with respectively, the cover The disk portions 1 are fitted with projections or ribs 8 positioned in recesses tformed in the sides of the propelling wheel which are of asize sufficient to allow of free relative movement of the inner and outer wheel members in the plane of the wheel.

It will be understood that such relative movement occurs without any positive guiding or sliding taking place. The recesses and projections above described also form stops whereby on the occurrence of a heavy shock they constitute supplementary stops to limit the movement of the hub toward the ground or vice versa. The projections or ribs 8 are fitted with tops or points a of rubber or other soft material so as to obviate knocking if any lateral movement occurs.

Between the interior of the outer wheel casing and the external periphery of the inner or propelling wheel is arranged a pneumatic cushion m in the form of a tube 1nflated by means of a valve or the like y.

When inflated the pneumatic tube assumes somewhat of a U-shape as shown, and it will be understood that the degree of inflation is controlled inwardly by the inner or propelling wheel and outwardly by the outer wheel casing so that bursting or overcharging is impossible. The periphery of the outer wheel casing is made with a number of orifices through each of which pass a projecting stud block or support 2 of rubber or other suitable resilient material. The studs on the outside rest on the ground or running surface and inside on the pneumatic cushion and perform a guided move: ment in the guiding holes of the outer casing. These studs are-formed integral with a band 1, which may be placed between the pneumatic cushion and the lnterior of the outer wheel casing and formed of a number of section lengths and to further insure rotection. against puncture a backing str p 2 plate and the part 6.,

of leather, which also prevents heating, may be applied between the exterior of the pneumatic cushion and the interior of the band 1.

It will have been understood from the foregoing that the pneumatic tube is so arranged between the outer casing and the inner wheel that its inner periphery is supported against the circumference of the inner wheel and the internal shoulders of the outer casing, while its outer surface is supported by the outer wheel casing. When a, charge due to load occurs,

the compression of the air owing to the decrease in volume which occurs and secondly in that no lateral or circumferential dilatation of the pneumatic tube is possible at the flattened part of the tread;

Having now fully described and ascertained my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. In a yieldable wheel structure for vehicles, in combination, a hub and inner wheel structure thereon having a rounded periphery, a rigid outer wheel structure comprising substantially symmetrical, outwardly-dished side plates and a rounded tread portion provided with peripheral apertures, movable tread studs passing through the apertures and a pneumatic cushion engaged between the periphery of the inner wheel structure and the tread and engaging the bases of said studs, said cushion extending laterally beyond the inner wheel structure and engaging outwardly-facing, annular outerrigid wheel structure, the parts being constructed and arranged so that the parts of the wheel are held in operative relation to each other by cushion. I

2. In a yieldable wheel for vehicles, the combination of a hub, a rigid inner wheel member thereon, a rigid outer member comprising a rounded tread portion and an outwardly-dished web portion provided with an aperture to embrace the hub, said tread portion being apertured on its periphery, studs passing through said apertures, a pneumatic cushion interposed between the inner structure and the bases of the studs pressure of said pneumatic and said tread, a cover plate outwardly.

dished and interlocking devices carried'by said tread portion and said cover platefor removably securing the cover plate in position to form a complete closure for the outer side of the wheel, the'parts being constructed and arranged so thatsaid' pneumatic cushion is subject, when the wheel is loaded, to double compression, applied to the cushion both upon its outer and inner sides.

3. In a yieldable wheel structure for vehicles, the combination of a hub, an inner on the inner whcel for instance, it is absorbed firstly by rigid Wheel member, an outer rigid tread In testimony whereof I have signed my member, cushion means between said memname to this specification in the presence of hers, a cover plate, flanges on said tread two subscribing Witnesses.

member and cover plate, and interlocking JACOBUS SPYKER. devices on said flanges whereby the cover Witnesses:

plate is removably secured in position by ro- BERTRAM H, MATIHEWS,

tating it in relation to the tread member. HENRY E. Dot). 

